Research & Development Grant
This project imagines a stop-motion animation triptych set in the strange, shimmering worlds of Gulf South waterways, swamps, and coastal ecosystems. Built from hand-crafted paper puppets and layered mixed-media environments, the work brings regional creatures like crustaceans, mollusks, fish, and birds—into focus as they navigate increasingly fragile habitats. Through field research in bayous, marshes, and coastal sites, the project transforms real environmental observation into animated storytelling shaped by humor, myth, and material experimentation. A collaborating sound engineer will develop an original score built from field recordings and site-specific audio, deepening the immersive ecological atmosphere.